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Why Exercise Helps Maintain Mental Health
Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health
Being healthy is not just about a certain size jeans, a scale victory or avoiding health issues like diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. It’s about maintaining both mental and physical health, exercise can help in both areas.
The physical benefits of exercise are often featured but Wendi Schutte, clinical manager for Memorial Weight Loss & Wellness Center, shares these ways exercise can benefit your mental health:
- Exercise lifts your mood. Just ten minutes of doing any type of moderate exercise will stimulate positive effects. Exercise releases endorphins into your body, which are the natural chemicals that can instantly boost mood.
- Exercise targets anxiety. When we are frightened or threatened, our nervous system kicks into a Fight or Flight response. This can lead to perspiration, dizziness and even a racing heart. Some of these feelings like perspiration and racing heart are also felt during exercise.
- Exercise works out your brain as well as your body. Individuals with symptoms of depression may experience a more positive outlook by exercising, which can often provide a sense of accomplishment. Exercise moderates a person’s responsiveness to stress.
Many of us give up exercise at exactly the time it could benefit us the most. When you have a headache, do you skip the aspirin? You want to feel better as soon as possible. So be sure to take your exercise when your mood needs a boost and see how it helps you feel better.
To access the full article for the benefits of exercise on mental health, click here.
Watch this video on 7 Mental Health Benefits of Exercise. Learn how exercise improves physical and mental health. You’ve all heard that exercise is good for you but what you may not know is that exercise is good for your brain.
In partnership with the YMCA, Hally Health focuses on a variety of topics aimed at people of any age or fitness level who want to stay healthy and active. Try this sports cardio workout, that’s sure to get your heart pumping. To view all of our YMCA partnership fitness videos throughout the month, please visit hally.com or Facebook.com/HallyHealth.